Unknown Transactions: Avoiding Scams Through Understanding

© 2013 by Kelechi Ononuju. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 07/08/2013

ISBN: 978-1-4817-6771-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-6772-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013911264

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

The Facts

Preface

Acknowledgement

Note To Readers

Introduction

Part 1

Chapter 1. Wealth And Money

Chapter 2. Seeking Financial Freedom

Chapter 3. Obsession With Success And Money Chasing

Chapter 4. Imitating Successful Persons

Chapter 5. The Old Phenomenon

Chapter 6. Scam Stage Settings

Chapter 7. The Cyberspace

Chapter 8. Understanding Gains And Losses

Chapter 9. Scam Input

Part 2

Chapter 10. Scam Business Introduction And Presentation Mediums

Chapter 11. Different Forms Of Scams

Chapter 12. Understanding Scam Proposal Responses

Chapter 13. Types Of Entry Into Scam Businesses

Chapter 14. Commitments In Scam Businesses

Chapter 15. Possible Payments In Scam Businesses

Part 3

Chapter 16. Always An Offer In The Proposal

Chapter 17. Compulsory Sale Of Confidence

Chapter 18. A Targeted Commitment

Chapter 19. Compulsory Advance Payment

Chapter 20. Systematic Billing And Self Billings In Scam Business

Chapter 21. Re-Appearing Finale Payments

Chapter 22. Frequent Deadlines Rescheduling

Chapter 23. Scam Occultism And The Secrecy

Chapter 24. The Effectiveness Of The Scam Networks

Chapter 25. The Imagination And Realization Struggle

Chapter 26. The Adamant Progressives

Part 4

Chapter 27. Laws On Scams And Frauds

Chapter 28. Legalities And Illegalities

Part 5

Chapter 29. Transaction Vigilance

A Conclusion

Bibliograpghy

About The Author

DEDICATION

For Chidochiri, Munachimso and Nnamdi

THE FACTS

• ‘A good lie is based in truth’

• Scams are on the increase and the scammers are getting more sophisticated.

• Scam schemes are now being set-up like genuine businesses worldwide.

• A single scam can take on different forms, so there is no way to define the shape or form the offer or presentation will take.

• The modern business person must still do business globally irrespective of scams rampancy.

• Many individuals are presently in ongoing scams without their knowledge.

• Certain features are common in scam business transactions.

• The confident way to avoid scams is by understanding scam business processes

Avoid scam handbook.

A must read for the business person.

Read this before that next business venture.

Understanding scam business processes.

PREFACE

A scam is a clever and dishonest plan for making money (a fraudulent business looking scheme solely designed for extorting another participant in the business). A scam is designed to trick you into giving away your money or your private details. Scams succeed because they look real and appeal to your needs and desires. The people who run these scam schemes are very manipulative; knowing the right buttons to push to produce the response they want. They are also masters in faking personalities, identities and documents.

A scammer is a person who perpetrates a scam. A scammer is a swindler, a trickster, a con artist, a confidence man, a con man and a deceiver. A scam target is someone the scammer aims to deceive; a person the scammer hopes to lure into a scam by sending a proposal. A scam victim will be regarded as one who has already lost money in a scam business, has made payments to the scammer or has made payments following the scammer’s directives. A person who is still a target, already involved in the business process, dealing with the scammer, but has not yet made payments to the scammer will be regarded as a prospective scam victim.

Fraud is common in scams and can be defined as intentional misrepresentation for the purpose of gain or the crime of obtaining money or some other benefit by deliberate deception. The introduction of Internet, electronic commerce (ecommerce) and electronic business (ebusiness) has expanded the rampancy of frauds.

There are detailed news, publications, videos, documentaries and descriptions of various scams. So many literatures have explained how best avoiding scams, but people still get scammed daily. We cannot ignore the fact that scams take on various forms; a particular scam can be presented or introduced in several ways to a scam target. It has also become noticeable that most people let their guard down against scams easily when they start waiting for a particular presentation of a scam.

Scammers and con artists are like people you see and interact with everyday. It is therefore important to understand certain observations, processes, patterns, and some features common to scam businesses.

An in depth understanding of the how and why the scam victims fell for the scams and the grand design of the scammers or conmen is the best education in avoiding scams.

The majority of the processes scammers adopt are derived from genuine business processes. The world is a global village; the modern business persons must do business locally as well as internationally. They must now use different mechanisms to carry out their operations; meeting their business partners physically or not, but ensuring that mutually beneficial relationships ensue. This is one problem the global business has had to face.

Theft is getting obsolete; the new trend adopted by thieves is to induce their would-be victims into giving them what they would have stolen from them. The scammers’ primary objective is for you to release your money or property into their hands. To make their unsuspecting victims do this, the scammers will adopt many strategies, pretences to lure their scam targets, prospective victims or victims to comply accordingly. In most cases these strategies resemble genuine business processes.

Globalization has made it so that the modern business person cannot only do business locally but worldwide. New businesses with totally new business transactions are emerging every day. It is obvious that the modern business persons must carry on with their operations, regardless of the rampancy of scams. Likewise, it is clear that many factors in our new global village will remain unknown, since no one can accurately estimate the intentions and authenticity of another—a person you have not seen or met before. For instance, one cannot refuse to use the modern ways of transferring money in the modern globalized world because of scams. No, you must still use credit cards, debit cards and the other modern means of transferring money to do your business. Yet you need to take notice and be aware of anything that may sound suspicious.

It is now mandatory for anyone involved in a business transaction to have a means of knowing what they are doing, or at least, have a good knowledge of the intentions of his or her new business partner. The modern business person must try to deduce this unknown partner’s intentions from the ongoing business processes and procedures.

In this book, different scams, observations, patterns and features, common in scam businesses are discussed. Also, this book will offer the reader a better understanding of scams and how to avoid them. Scams are best avoided when one understands clearly the scammers’ intentions from the ongoing business processes.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Unknown Transactions: avoiding scams through understanding, is a product of valuable detailed insights deduced from news, articles, court judgments, scam stories, stories told, reported experiences, research and careful investigations.

I acknowledge all those who have contributed the material, articles, announcements and publications which dealt with the scam problems and their avoidance. Good works I must confess!

To God Almighty I am grateful as this book was a vision that had so many hitches. An opportunity to give this insight into scam problems and possible solutions that will enable the reader, understand new realities and avoid financial losses which is presently hindering economic growths worldwide.

I also thank all those who told me stories about their past experiences in scam businesses in one way or the other, knowingly and unknowingly. This includes scam targets, prospective scam victims, scam victims, policemen, workers, politicians, business persons and scammers. I really appreciate your stories and their contents. As you all read this book, you will understand better, the need that we share such stories. I will also thank those behind the magnificent results the research provided.

NOTE TO READERS

This book is based on my own observations. Since the deductions and analyses I have made are strictly personal, I cannot say they are a hundred percent correct. These analyses stem from years of observations of both genuine business and scam business transactions, from books and reports I have read, been told or heard. Throughout my analyses, I have noticed a common pattern evolving in these reported scams which gave me the idea and the basis for writing this book.

I am not an expert in criminology, psychology, sociology, law enforcement or finance. I am not a guru of any form. I have been scammed several times myself. As a victim, an observer, an investigator, a reader and a businessman, I have come to the conclusion that some features were common in scan businesses when compared to genuine businesses.

Business transaction methods evolve everyday and there is no particular method acceptable worldwide. I can only say that there are methods perceived as acceptable generally, and they should be thoroughly checked before entering into any business transactions to avoid scams.

Instances, examples and illustrations used in this book are all fictitious. Names used and places mentioned are also fictitious and do in no way relate to anyone anywhere whatsoever. Scam stories in this book are short, as I try to hit the main points in explaining the necessary points and allow the reader the advantage of relating to the same story in other situations.

The majority of the discussions in this book are not only unknown to the many scam victims but also unknown to many scammers who might never understand why one victim willingly released what others in same situation refused to release. Only thorough analyses of successful scam stories can you gain awareness and avoid scams.

At the outset of any business, any participant in that business can be a prospective scam victim. It should be that prospective scam victim’s decision not to make the scam victims’ list. This book will assist anyone in not becoming that next scam victim. As the world globalizes further, many business transactions will become more unknown transactions.

INTRODUCTION

Most scams are spontaneous they say;—If spontaneity is too good to be left to chance, then, let us form a pattern of following spontaneity. We need to obtain enough information about our other business partner, before, during and after the business transaction.

One of the greatest con artists put it this way:

‘I only took money from those who could afford it and were willing to go in with me in schemes they fancied would fleece others. They wanted money for its own sake; I wanted it for the luxuries and pleasures it would afford me. They were seldom concerned with human nature. They knew little—and cared less—about their fellow man. If they had been students of human nature, if they had given more time to companionship with their fellows and less to the chase of the almighty dollar, they wouldn’t have been such easy works’ (‘YELLOW KID’ WEIL (1875-1976).

No one should underestimate the power and impact of his or her financial decisions. Your success or failure in life is affected by the few choices you make in your life. To succeed you must manage your finances well and to manage your finances well you must have the knack to differentiate scams from genuine business transactions.

In certain theology, there is divine giving and there is demonic giving. The ability to use your finances judiciously and positively for mankind’s progress is a divine gift few persons have. Few have the ability to detect scams without much effort; such qualities are divine to such persons. Also, it is common for people you assisted not to be grateful because in reality, they had no problem that needed assistance when you helped them. They simply deceived you into a demonic giving while you thought you were assisting them.

It might appear that many successful rich persons have a percentage of inbuilt scam detecting mechanism. The personality and aura of a rich man plus his exotic environment demand a hundred percent, absolute courage from a scammer to pull a scam on the rich man. You just have to be like him or near him to pull such scams through. If you check, you will discover that a good percentage of business proposals presented directly to very rich men are genuine, never scams.

Let us attribute this to the fact that rich men do not read their mails themselves nor answer their calls directly, and to the effect their irresistible charm has on the interlocutor. I regard these and other qualities as their self-protection mechanisms, which, if not present will expose that rich person to scams. Likewise, I have observed the opposite to be true in people who do not want society to know they are rich. They hide their money due to its origin and in that process start entering shady deals which will finally expose them to several scams. Some corrupt world leaders make up a great majority of this group; they steal so much money while in government and end up being broke two or three years later after leaving government offices. At times, I wonder why, and it all boils down to being victims of scams from all corners and to their inability to radiate that rich man’s charm due to their funds’ origin. I do not even exempt the foreign banks and governments where they deposited these stolen funds in scamming most of the money out of them, too. It is like being wide open for a sucker punch from anyone. My personal opinion is that if you have money, let the society know and use it as it should be used. I refuse to accept that very rich people are in danger. I see the opposite; they are in very safe hands as the world realizes their importance. This is by the way and moreover, my personal opinion.

We often attribute so much to luck; scam detecting mechanism can be unconsciously implanted in a business person over several years of successful business practice. Others must learn the symptoms of scan businesses and practice to being able to detect scams as they appear and reappear in daily business transactions nowadays.

No one is above scams as they come in different forms and shapes. Many successful scams are seen by their scam victims as business failures or transactions that failed to materialize, while some scams appear as direct scams the police authorities and courts get to entertain.

In explaining some features common in scam businesses, we will also try to relate or compare them with observations common to genuine business transactions. They are intertwined I will say and so many similarities appear in both. One needs to be thorough to detect which transaction you are into. It might require only some minor homework, or a one-on-one check which you can do mentally in seconds. Ask the right questions and await the answers that will indicate whether a scam is in progress. If it requires two or more questions, ask them, at least to ensure that you are not wasting your precious time in a scam business transaction. The loss might be very negligible to your finances but will impact greatly on the scammer’s finances and confidence in further scams.

Some scams are criminal in nature while others are not. A scan can present itself as a normal genuine business transaction. The conditions can be so palatable that you will happily part with your money without complaints whatsoever. I have come to understand that many scams from the outset were carefully arranged to appear so and create such impressions. Many scam victims still believe that scams were businesses gone badly; they therefore, bear no grudges against the scammers, thinking they were and are still good business partners. Of course, genuine businesses go bad, too, but it is not always true that a genuine business gone bad requires monetary input. You can start to smell scam.

Scams generally come out as one or a mixed combination of these simple terminologies: obtaining by trust or by tricks; betrayal of confidence; manufactured expenses; different from appearance; high yield investments; income earners; money transfer; occult manipulations; self imposed bills; wise investors; profit making original; come-and-buy; manufactured scarcity; high price offer; big business deal, and so on. Most people that were scammed were introduced to the scam business via a communication medium. We will discuss some of these mediums which include mails, emails, mobile phone calls, SMS, physical contact and even genuine business manifests.

Financial independence is an ultimate goal for every reasonable person, it will help you and your loved ones escape those financial difficulties that are common and exists for most people. Financial independence will also allow you to enjoy yourself and live your desired lifestyle. The final financial success everyone wants is a journey and never a destination. It is a hard journey that has so many obstacles stretching even to the final destination.

It is necessary for everyone to understand that scams and scam proposals are becoming daily affairs everywhere. Many people will find it difficult to understand that scams are everywhere because of differences in what each of us regards as scam. There have been cases where very wealthy persons saw paying government taxes as being scammed. Their feeling might be that if others had worked as hard as them, they too would have been rich and maybe there would not have been need for taxation and the provision of social welfare services to the less privileged. This simple reason has made so many wealthy persons leave their countries of origin to live in tax havens.

Distribution of wealth is never even and this inequality is what without delegation, many, including nature, assign to themselves to level off. Robin Hood, according to history, might have tried to redistribute wealth in old Britain. Some do this the wrong way, while I believe others try to redress these inequalities the right way. The revolution of wealth remains a constant. New millionaires are being made daily while many old millionaires are losing status.

Scams and scammers have always existed in time. They are not new things to the world; they are old things being presented in modified ways. Scams have always been around and will continue to be around for a very long time to come. They will not go away; one just has to know exactly what they are and be well equipped to avoid them in all business dealings and transactions. This is the best anyone can hope for. The continuous presence of scams has created the need to device a sort of self assessing mechanism to keep yourself, your finances, your transactions and ventures, safe from scammers and deceivers alike.

Initially, it was believed money transfer scams occur only in Nigeria. It has now become clearer to other nations and world authorities, that with scam business networking, even their nationals are involved. Similar scams have now been observed in most large cities of the world where advanced law enforcement agencies are vigorously pursuing and capturing these sometimes very elusive culprits. Scam proposals are now originating from almost all countries. It is as if everyone and even governments are involved. As a matter of fact, not everyone is involved and governments are not involved. The truth is that very few people are involved but the internet has modified and simplified scams. A huge scam can now be set up in minutes using the internet facilities. A bank account can be opened in minutes using the internet. Millions of emails can now be sent at once by clicking a ‘send’ button. Exact samples of most delicate documents are on the internet if you know how to search for and reproduce them. The new world order is that of awareness and availability.

Scam is bourgeois, it is complex, it is complicated and very much undefined as it appears in many court judgments—‘the victim should have known from the outset that the business was too bourgeois to be real’. The difficult question now is, how one judges a business that is bourgeois? So many genuine businesses with little capital investment have generated huge profits, running into several thousands and millions. Many people have purposely avoided businesses that run into millions in order to avoid being scammed, but scamming does not depend or focus on any particular amount. Scam can thrive in any transaction irrespective of the business worth. The amount mentioned in a scam proposal solely depends on the scammer’s design as he or she tries to make the scam proposal appetizing to the scam target.

The number of scam victims keep increasing daily remains a problem. Avoiding scams by mere lookouts for particular scam presentations might fail at times because a particular scam can be presented in different ways. The same scam can be presented to an unsuspecting scam target in over a hundred ways. It therefore makes no sense to be on the lookout for a particular scam proposal presentation as most films, radio, TV programs and books try to inform the public. In as much as these programs are very helpful, but an understanding of the entire scam business processes is a better guide in preventing being scammed. It will enable you to carry on with your business on a more secure footing while enabling to identify the alluring scams lurking around the corner.

Understanding scam business processes will assist you in doing business with any unknown business partner. Scams as a matter of fact, are not perpetrated by particular methods, mediums or even societal class.

Thorough analyses of successful scams will show that each and every scam was unique to the scammed victim and the scammer. Each scam victim-scammer relationship is unique and cannot be easily imitated in another scam business. No two successful scams were exactly the same in process, psychology and execution.

Human beings vary and there is no way, anyone can replicate or expect a replica of a past scam situation. Also, people have different reasons for entering into the same business. These inabilities create room for the complexity in understanding scam businesses. Still, there are common features of scam businesses that are undisputed. For instance, it is possible these days to ship ten containers of raw material cocoa to your importing business partner in China without seeing or meeting him for a second and still get paid successfully. You can also ship just one container of raw material cocoa to another business partner in the same China and never hear